Jim seeing momma for the first time in a year. She was not quite sure who he was.

Jim explaining to mom that she was his wife and he loved her so much!

Well, she was clearly remembering something!

We got to the nursing home early this morning wanting to make up for lost time from last night’s missed rendezvous.   First thing Jordyn, Lauren and I noticed was that no one was working the desk and the usually bustling lobby was empty.  Uh, oh!

We were told by the aide that all but three residents had some horrible strain of stomach flu.  My mom was one of three that was well.  I hoped that maybe fifty or so years of special occasion stomach flu had built up my mom’s immune system and was helping her throw off the flu.

Jim and Jay arrived before we could think much about it.  Mom did not know Jim.  No question, but he slowly convinced her he was her husband and she seemed pretty happy to have him by her side.  Jim had brought a lot of great pictures.  We all enjoyed visiting.  We left mom just before lunch with a promise to pick her up later in the afternoon for the family dinner.

My stepfather, Jim, is quite a man.  He was the first person I ever met.  Literally!  He was my mom’s OB-GYN and he delivered my sister and I.  He and my mom were reunited years later after they both had lost their spouses.  One of the first times I met Jim again, was in Florida.  He went with me to Ally’s riding lesson.  He informed me he had served honorably in the US Cavalry!  Do you know anyone who rode in the Cavalry?  He jumped horses over things that would make Feather and Lauren faint at heart.  He is a real horseman.

We went back to the farm so Lauren and Jo could ride for their grandpa.  It was sunny and relatively warm, but that north wind was gusting across the prairie at about 25 miles an hour so it was not the best time for a 96 year old to hang out with the horses.

Jim making a new friend.

First, I found Jim making fast friends with my Irish mare.  He was slipping her apples and she loved him!  Then it was off to meet big Bruno for the first time.  “Now, that looks like a horse who could jump!  He is really amazing!”  Jim noted.

Bruno was playing to the camera and enjoying his old and young visitors.

They watched the girls ride some and headed out for some soup and respite from the chilling wind.

We planned dinner early with Ally’s family and Blake joining us.  Ally and I headed to my moms to pick her up shortly before dinner.  I will spare you the details, but my momma was now in the count with the residents with the horrible flu.  We cleaned her up as well as we could (while trying to hold our breath) got her in bed and hurried out of the sick ward.  She was feverish, fluish, and barely able to allow us to get her back to bed.

We had the family dinner.  It was nice, but not they way it should have been.  Jim comes all the way from Arizona, gets to see mom for an hour, gets exposed to some violent flu strain and is to head home in the morning.  Man plans, God laughs.

I and all my family are having deep discussions with God tonight regarding stomach flu.  I know I am!

Thanks for riding along!  Really say a prayer for my momma tonight.  Thanks and God bless.